Arctic Adventure to 70º 12'N

Sailing on the 101 year old Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Dolphin from Ornes to Svalbard was pretty amazing. It was a bit of a fast-paced mission though as Capps had a schedule to keep.  This meant that the overall pace of the journey was relentless and exhausting and there were times I just wished we could have spent longer in one place. We sailed approximately 900 nautical miles in total. 

Perhaps the strangest thing that I really never got used to was the 24 hour day light. This is a strange phenomenon that confused me more than once and I had to ask Rae, John or Capps if it was very early morning or mid afternoon. This confusion about whether it was day or night added to the overall other worldliness of the glacial, desolate and pristine wilderness that is Svalbard. 

It has been an absolute privilege to sail with Capps on Dolphin in the Arctic and I have met some truly remarkable people. The Arctic takes no prisoners and I have to be honest and say I am relieved that Rae and I returned in one piece.   

We worked pretty hard for the first 48 hours getting Dolphin ready for her adventure.

Midnight sun.

Torsvag, the last stop before crossing the Barents Sea.

When on land it is sensible to carry a gun in case the polar bear scarers fail to scare the bear. Happily we did not encounter a polar bear although we met a French couple who did. They, thankfully, were unhurt but their sea kayak is no longer sea worthy!

Whilst walking on this glacier we heard it boom twice in half an hour as the millions of tons of ice slowly moved seaward.

Gone Sailing (Ornes to Svalbard). Back middle of July

Triban at the Sunrise Celebration Festival.

We were lucky to be able to work with Triban at this year's Sunrise Celebration Festival. This was the first time we had been to the new site which is near Bruton in Somerset. The festival site is great  and much smaller than the old one which was near Yeovil. When Rae and I and my two children, Tom and Matt, arrived on the Saturday before the festival was due to begin we were made to feel very welcome by the production and security team. The security guys, particularly Bear and Spanner were great and looked after us really well, cheers guys.

Rich of Triban had asked Rae and I to go to the site on the Saturday to attend a fire training course. The course lasted about an hour and a half and took place in a tent in pouring rain. The training itself was ok, but it sent shivers down my spine, reminding me of my past when I used to be the Training, Education and Workforce Development Manager for Somerset PCT. I used to have to organise statutory and mandatory training and I am so glad I know longer have to do that anymore.

Being on site six days before a festival starts is great. It is wonderful watching fields slowly becoming covered in marquees, big tops, such as the one belonging to the Invisible Circus along with wonderful structures such as the Bimble Inn.

Triban who were at the Small Worlds Festival near Headcorn in Kent were not due to arrive until the Wednesday and so we were able to just relax and enjoy ourselves whilst all those around us worked their  socks off. Mind you, we too worked hard when Triban did arrive and Rae and I particularly enjoyed helping raise their new big marquee. Roly who had made this beautiful tent was on hand to oversee and teach Triban how to put the structure up.

This was the first time I had worked at a festival and I really, really enjoyed it. It was great working in the cafe. My son Tom was lucky to be taken under Steve's, the sound engineers, wing introducing him to  sound engineering. Thanks Rich, Steve, Shahid and Alisa for teaching Tom.

My other son Matt enjoyed playing with the other children and particularly enjoyed relaxing in the hammock slung from the big Triban trailer.

Sailing to Svalbard

It is now a couple of months since we have been back in the UK. Typically time has gone very quickly and we have been very busy. I have made two pairs of spoon oars and we have also been getting our Pilot Cutter's rowing punt 'Defiant of Lyme Regis' ready for the Boats that Built Britain exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Follow this link for the press release: http://www.nmm.ac.uk/about/press/boats-that-built-britain-at-nmm


We have also been looking for our next adventure which we are now delighted to be able to confirm. Rae and I are going to be sailing onboard Dolphin, an original Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter. This beautiful vessel is owned by Roger Capps and we are pleased to be part of his crew sailing her to Svalbard. We have booked our flights and are very excited by this new adventure. 


Dolphin is moored in Ornes, Norway and we will  be joining the vessel in mid June. When we join the vessel we will assist in getting her ready for passage to Svalbard which is an archipelago located in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, for more information folow this link to  the official Norway tourism website  http://www.visitnorway.com/en/Stories/Norway/North/Svalbard/

Pictures of Valkala

Selections of fish at three of the many restaurants in Valkala

\

Beach scenes, shame about the rubbish strewn across the cliff face!

Apart from tourism fishing is the other main industry in Valkala

Our last night in Valakala and an evening meal with Lorna our friend from Auroville